Extraordinary success singing with a popular dance band. He had become a top

Radio attraction. Unfortunately the band leader, a well-known show business

Personality named Les Halley, had signed Johnny to a five-year personal services

Contract. It was a common show business practice. Les Halley could now loan

Johnny out and pocket most of the money.

Don Corleone entered the negotiations personally. He offered Les Halley

Twenty thousand dollars to release Johnny Fontane from the personal services

contract. Halley offered to take only fifty percent of Johnny's earnings. Don

Corleone was amused. He dropped his offer from twenty thousand dollars to ten

Thousand dollars. The band leader, obviously not a man of the world outside his

Beloved show business, completely missed the significance of this lower offer.

He refused.

The next day Don Corleone went to see the band leader personally. He

Brought with him his two best friends, Genco Abbandando, who was his

Consigliori, and Luca Brasi. With no other witnesses Don Corleone persuaded

Les Halley to sign a document giving up all rights to all services from Johnny

Fontane upon payment of a certified check to the amount of ten thousand dollars.

Don Corleone did this by putting a pistol to the forehead of the band leader and

Assuring him with the utmost seriousness that either his signature or his brains